A Charming, Tuneful Tribute to Kander and Ebb

Their new musical “Steel Pier” closed on Broadway this weekend only two months after it had opened, losing $7 million and change. Meanwhile, a revival of “Chicago,” their 1975 show, is the hottest ticket on Broadway. The songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb has been riding the roller coaster of hits and misses for 33 years now; they are consummate show-biz survivors. You can be sure a Kander and Ebb heroine knows what she’s talking about when she sings: “Somebody loses and somebody wins / One day it’s kicks / Then it’s kicks in the shins / But the planet spins / And the world goes ‘round and around.”

In Long Beach, the International City Theatre presents the Kander and Ebb revue “And the World Goes ‘Round,” a delicious platter of show songs--all of them good numbers whether the musicals they adorned were loved or ignored.

Singing the title song, Regina Le Vert starts the show off with a spark. She stands very still and underplays this anthem to taking life’s blows while her vibrant eyes suggest the pain and joy that are needed to accomplish this.

Just how much you enjoy the rest of the show may very well depend on whether you’ve seen the original 1991 off-Broadway production of this revue (it played San Diego the following year). At the Center Theater in Long Beach, director Glenn Casale and choreographer Randy Hills stick close to the work done by the original team of Scott Ellis and Susan Stroman, whose names are nowhere to be found on the program (though they do make it into the press release).

The most distinctive numbers--like “Arthur in the Afternoon,” in which a high-strung housewife rendezvous midday with a stud whose services require the use of her credit card--are virtual copies, only not as sharp. Also not credited is David Thompson, who (along with Ellis and Stroman) conceived the show and invented ways of presenting too-familiar songs, such as “Cabaret” and “New York, New York,” with entirely new spins.

The original conception was smart, and it still is, as delivered by a hard-working five-member cast. Unfortunately, the performers are saddled with amplification that is the aural equivalent of large-print type. The women’s dresses are likewise not particularly flattering, and costume designer Sherry Linnell seems guided by the principle that the audience’s attention should always be directed toward Adrienne Barbeau’s decolletage.

Barbeau has a limited dramatic range, but her voice is pleasant and she has a likable presence. She is sweet in the comic one-act “Ring Them Bells” and gently wistful in “Isn’t This Better” from “Funny Lady.” Kevin Bailey, whom I heretofore have only seen overact, gives an emotionally stark and powerful reading of the song “I Don’t Remember You” from the underrated musical “The Happy Time.” His strong voice melded beautifully with James Mellon’s tenor in another heartbreak ballad, “Sometimes a Day Goes By” (from “Woman of the Year”). The lanky Mellon proved to be a versatile song-and-dance man, easily fielding ballads as well as that deadpan throwback to vaudeville “Mr. Cellophane” (from “Chicago”).

The company’s main dancer, Suzanne Harrer, seemed hampered either by the space or her own emotions, both in saucy numbers like “All That Jazz” and a second-act balletic ode to happiness. She never conveys effortlessness. Suspended high above the main playing area, the five-member band sounded terrific.

“And the World Goes ‘Round” is a charming homage to a great songwriting team. Never mind that the creators of this homage were not homaged.

* “And the World Goes Round,” International City Theatre at Center Theater, Long Beach Entertainment and Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Thur.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Ends July 20. $28 (562) 938-4128. Running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes.

With: Regina Le Vert, Suzanne Harrer, Adrienne Barbeau, James Mellon, Kevin Bailey.

A production of International City Theatre. Songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb. Directed by Glenn Casale. Musical director Darryl Archibald. Choreographer Randy Hills. Sets Lisa Hashimoto. Lights Tom Ruzika. Costumes Sherry Linnell.